Grocery Depot in Ferriday closing today

Published 12:01 am Friday, March 11, 2016

FERRIDAY — Last week customers of Grocery Depot waited for hours to get out with half-priced goods after the Ferriday store announced it would close and put its merchandise on sale.

Business has been slow the week of closing, assistant manager Gloria Lloyd said Wednesday.

Grocery Depot is expected to close permanently today.

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The store has been in the building off of E.E. Wallace Boulevard for four years. For years before that, the former Kaye’s Food Market occupied the space until the business sold to Grocery Depot.

“I was at Kaye’s for 21 good years — that was the best company I ever worked for,” Lloyd said. “And this one is the worst.”

Before Kaye’s, there was a Big Star Market in the location.

Grocery Depot, owned by Roberts Company, Inc., came in and changed a lot, Lloyd said.

“They changed everything and listened to the wrong people,” she said. “If it’s not broke, why are you going to try and fix it?”

Lloyd, who is also a town councilwoman, has been in the grocery business for 42 years. She’s considering retiring, but isn’t sure if she’s ready.

“Well, if somebody wants to call me to help out, but I’m not going to put out any applications,” she said. “It’ll be hard, working is all I’ve ever known.”

As of Wednesday, items at the grocery store were listed at half price. Calls to the store went unanswered Thursday.

CEO of Roberts Company Jeff Iverson could not be reached for comment.

Mayor Gene Allen said on Thursday that he had visited the store this week with a company interested in purchasing the building from Roberts Company.

“I think within the next three months we’ll be back in operation, according to the way they are talking,” Allen said, adding that he had also heard from other interested companies.

The mayor would not relay who the potential purchasers were.

Residents now have the option to shop at Ferriday Market, Fred’s, Dollar General and Family Dollar. Groceries are also sold at the convenience stores.